Believing in Miracles
by missglitter22
Summary: Luke and Lorelai have been married for two years. They've decided they want a baby, but are continually met with setbacks instead of success on that journey. When they decide to seek help, will they finally get their miracle?
1. Fighting a Losing Battle

Chapter One

 _Fighting a Losing Battle_

"Dammit, not again," 39 year old Lorelai Gilmore Danes cursed aloud as she stared at yet another negative pregnancy test. She, and her husband of two years, Luke Danes, had been trying to conceive their first child together for three years, with zero successes. They were starting to feel defeated and tired of the constant negatives.

"That doesn't sound good," Luke said from outside the bathroom. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Lorelai answered and she opened the door.

"I'm so tired of this," she said and showed him the pregnancy test. "It's been constant negatives for three years, three this month alone. I'm starting to doubt we will ever have a baby, Luke,"

"Lorelai, come on," he took his wife into his arms and hugged her. "We will have a baby, I promise. There are ways we can. Just have faith,"

"No, Luke, I'm tired of having faith and waiting and hoping! It shouldn't be this hard!" Lorelai stormed off. Luke tried to stop her and calm her, but he was too late. She stormed up the stairs and into their bedroom.

During the years they had been together, Luke had learned that when Lorelai had these mood spells, it was best to just leave her be to work through them alone. As much as his heart told him to comfort her, he realized that what she needed is time to be with her own thoughts, as this was a very sensitive and personal process to her. Luke went to make some coffee while he let Lorelai have her alone time.

As he sat with his coffee, Luke too was lost in his own thoughts. All he wanted was to give Lorelai the baby she yearned for, and deep down, even though he once was very against kids (and their "jam hands'), he wouldn't mind getting to have a baby with Lorelai. After all, he missed out on April's baby days and wanted to experience those milestones for himself. He'd always dreamed of having a son, especially after losing his own dad. He wanted to teach his future son many things, including fishing and cooking. Maybe they could even take over the diner one day, he thought, just like he had with his dad. Although he was trying to keep optimistic about the situation for the sake of Lorelai's emotions, Luke too was starting to have doubts. He and Lorelai had been trying for a baby regularly, even before they were married. He knew that it wasn't normal for conceiving to take this long, and was starting to think something was wrong.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lorelai sat upstairs on their bed with piles of photo albums around her. Each album contained one year's worth of pictures of Rory, from the ages of two hours old until six years old (Emily wanted them to continue until Rory was eighteen, but Rory wouldn't allow it, and Lorelai respected her daughter's wishes). Lorelai normally loved looking through these albums and reminiscing about Rory as a baby and her misadventures as a young mother, but now they just made her feel sad and hopeless. All she wanted was to experience those times again- the first steps, first words, first smiles of her baby, but with Luke by her side. She always knew that she wanted more children. Although Rory was an unexpected, yet happy surprise for her, she fell deeply in love with that little girl from their first moment together, and she yearned for that feeling again.

When Lorelai and Luke decided it was time to take their relationship more seriously and move forward with getting married, they discussed having a child or even multiple children together at length. Both of them loved the idea, and while they knew having one might not be instant, they never expected it to take years.

"Aw, look," Lorelai said to herself. "Our first picture…" She was staring down at a photo of herself and brand-new baby Rory. It was taken by a nurse not even an hour after Rory had been born. Lorelai could almost feel the tiredness her sixteen year old self was experiencing at that moment. She was deliriously tired then, but also deliriously happy. That afternoon into early morning was the hardest, but the happiest one of her life. Lorelai smiled at the memory, and also felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Oh, her first Halloween!" Lorelai squealed at a now grainy photo of Rory in costume as a pumpkin, and Lorelai holding her, while dressed up as a clown (the only costume she could find that accommodated her body having recently finished carrying a baby).

"And here's her first meeting with Grandma and Grandpa Gilmore," In this photo, Rory was being held by Emily, who was smiling proudly, with Richard behind her. Lorelai was smiling next to her parents and daughter, but it was obvious she didn't want to be photographed. She was a new, tired, somewhat clueless mother, and not in the mood for posing, but Emily insisted and wouldn't budge, saying she needed a picture of the "new Gilmore generation". She also wanted to have it made into a painting for her den, but that's where Lorelai really drew the line.

Lorelai continued looking at pictures for a few minutes, and then she heard a knock at the door.

"Can I come in?" It was Luke.

"Yeah, of course," Lorelai answered. She watched as Luke came into the room, carrying two plates of burgers and fries and two sodas. "Here's dinner," he said.

Lorelai smiled tiredly. "Thanks," she said as she took her plate.

"So," Luke said with a concerned tone in his voice. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Lorelai said, sighing. She took a bite of her burger and then set it to the side, not in the mood to eat much of anything, even delicious food cooked by her favorite man.

"Listen, babe," Luke said seriously. "I think it's time we start to seek help in having a baby. Clearly, what we're doing on our own isn't working at all, and you know, we are older now than when April and Rory were conceived. It's not a bad idea," he suggested.

"Are you sure they'll help us?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Luke asked.

"Because we're _old_ ," Lorelai half joked.

"It's worth a try," Luke looked into her eyes. He could sense how much she wanted this.

"Okay," Lorelai consented. "I'll call the Hartford Fertility Center, I've heard good things." She pulled out her phone, looked up the number, and dialed it. Luke took their plates out and decided to let her make the call alone.

"Hello, and thank you for calling the Hartford Fertility and Family Center. This is Susan speaking, how may we assist you today?

"Hi, my name is Lorelai Gilmore, and I'm looking to come in with my husband for an appointment where we discuss our fertility issues,"

"Of course," Susan replied. "Can you give me a brief description of your history?"

"Both my husband and I have children from previous relationships, but they're grown up, we had them when we were young. Now, he and I are trying for our first together and we're having a lot of trouble,"

"Ah, what kind of trouble?"

"We've been married for two years and consistently trying for three, and in that time, we've had up to three negative tests a month. Never any positives.

"I understand how difficult that is, and I definitely think you could benefit from some of our services or at the very least a consultation with one of our specialists. Now, I just have some more questions for you to get to know your needs a little better,"

"Of course,"

"First of all, how old are you and your husband? Age often affects fertility,"

"I'm thirty nine and he's forty three,"

"Ah, that could be the reason why. Let me look in the system to see what appointment dates and times are available. It sounds like we should get you in relatively soon. You've got the circumstances of what we call a priority case, considering how long you have been trying and your ages. Hold on while I look up the dates. It will just be a minute,"

Lorelai stood up and paced around while she waited. She was beginning to feel some hope.

"Alright," Susan was back on the line. "We can actually fit you in tomorrow at nine, does that work?"

"Yes, that's perfect!" Lorelai agreed. "Thank you so much Susan, you've been so sweet and helpful to me,"

"Any time, I wish you and your husband the best of luck," she said before hanging up.

* * *

"Well," Lorelai said as she came out of the bedroom and into the living room., where Luke sat watching the evening news and drinking some coffee. "We've got an appointment for nine tomorrow in Hartford. The woman I talked to said we're a priority case," she announced

"Wow," Luke exclaimed. "That sounds important,"

"Yeah, definitely," Lorelai added, flopping down on the couch next to him. "You know what, Luke?"

"What?"

"I'm starting to have some hope," she snuggled into him. They watched some TV before going up to bed.

Normally when Luke and Lorelai went to bed, they kissed each other goodnight, turned out the lights and rolled right over to go to sleep. Tonight, however, they couldn't help themselves from talking about the stride they had made in their journey to a baby

"Can you believe we might get to be parents?" Lorelai questioned.

"We _will,_ " Luke corrected. "I promise. Good night, crazy lady, I love you so much,"

"Good night, my java angel," Lorelai responded. Her and Luke shared a kiss and then settled in for the night, snuggled up together and full of hope for the future.


	2. A Little More Hope

Two

 **A Little More Hope**

"Lorelai, it's time to wake up," Luke stood over his wife. He stared at her sleeping frame, thinking about how peaceful she looked. Lorelai turned over and looked at him groggily. She never liked someone waking her up. "What do you mean?" she paused to look at the time. "It's only seven thirty!"

"We've got an appointment an hour away in Hartford and they told us to be there half an hour early for paperwork. Come on, up. Coffee's in the pot,"

"You said my favorite word!" Lorelai shot up out of bed and ran down the hallway, straight into the kitchen. She poured herself a giant mug of coffee and sighed contentedly. "Ah, it truly is the best part of waking up,"

"You've got an addiction," Luke scoffed.

"I know, I just can't stop though. It's so good. So hot. So caffeinated," Lorelai put the rest of her coffee in a travel mug as well as put some tea in one for Luke.

"Still, it's a problem," Luke continued. They freshened up and hit the road.

As Lorelai pulled out of their driveway, Luke caressed her free hand. "Remember," he advised. "Whatever they tell us today, we're strong and we can handle it,"

Lorelai returned his touch. "I know," she glanced up at him. "I can't believe I might get to be a mommy again,"

"You're already one,"

"I know, but she's a big girl now. Doesn't need her mama so much anymore," Lorelai sniffled. Rory was now twenty three and keeping busy with starting a freelance writing career. She and Lorelai remained close, of course, but life and other requirements kept them from seeing each other as much as they would have liked to.

"We're here!" Lorelai announced a few minutes later. "Time to move forward in our journey to becoming parents!"

Lorelai and Luke got out of the car and walked into the clinic building, each of them clasping the other's hand. They hoped for good news, but knew they could handle whatever news they were given. They would celebrate the good and support each other through the bad. That was their vow to each other, and what they did every day, no matter the circumstances.

* * *

Lorelai checked herself into the clinic and found herself an empty spot to fill out her paperwork. As she did so, she couldn't help but be thrilled by what was happening. Sure, she hadn't yet received any official news, but her and Luke were at least taking the starting steps of fulfilling their dream of starting a family together. She loved Rory with everything she had, fiercely so, but somehow knew if she was indeed lucky enough to get pregnant, this time would be different. It would be celebrated **.** When she was pregnant with Rory, she was looked down upon, especially because of her family's status. Gossip of "Can you believe Richard and Emily's girl got pregnant?" filled the town (and its surrounding areas) for the entire nine months. That was part of the reason she fled away with Rory to the safety, comfort, and quirkiness of Stars Hollow- she was tired of the judgment from others and of feeling pressured to fit into her parents' world. Now having lived in the Hollow for twenty-three years, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else. This was where her baby (and her, really), grew up.

Snapping herself back into reality and away from her often difficult memories, Lorelai completed her paperwork and returned it to the main desk. She was walking back to her seat when she noticed a young couple, carrying twin babies in their arms. She sat down slowly and tapped Luke on the shoulder gently. He turned to face her and she softly pointed to the couple. "Look, twins!"

Luke smiled. He'd always thought babies were cute, but often felt forced to keep up his gruff reputation and ignored them. This time though, he allowed himself to say, "Aw!"

"That could be our future," Lorelai mused, imagining herself as the mother to twins. That was a dream she had had years before.

"Lorelai Danes-Gilmore?" said a receptionist from the back area. "We're ready for you!" Lorelai once again grasped Luke's hand and they went with the receptionist.

* * *

As Luke and Lorelai walked down the long, white hallway, still hand in hand, following the receptionist, they couldn't help but let themselves dream of a pregnancy, baby snuggles, and parenthood. Thar was all they wanted.

The receptionist let them into the examination room and told them to sit and wait for the doctor, who would be in soon. They found themselves seats, sat, and thanked her.

"Here we are," Lorelai mused to herself. "This is the place that will help us have a baby,"

"Yep," Luke added, in his usual blank tone. He wasn't sure what to think about the experience. He wanted to be excited, but also wanted to be ready for not good news.

"Hello!" called the doctor after knocking the usual three knocks and entering. "I'm Doctor Jacobs, lead specialist here at Hartford Fertility and Family," she looked down at her clipboard at some notes that she had been given. "I see that you're here on account of no luck conceiving. Can you recount your history for me?"

"Sure," Lorelai started. "My husband and I both have children from previous relationships that are twenty three and seventeen. He and I have been married for two years, and we've been trying for a baby of our own for three. There has been zero luck and at times, five negative tests a month. We're at our wits end and we need help," Lorelai began getting choked up. "Please," she pleaded to the doctor. "I'll do anything… any drug, treatment, or procedure you think will help. I just want a baby,"

"I'll do everything in my power," Doctor Jacobsen promised.

Lorelai sat through a physical exam and some blood tests. Afterward, the doctor returned with results. "Well, these were non-conclusive, meaning it's probably not based on anything testable, but based on what I know and guess, you're probably having trouble due to the amount of time between your last children and your ages. I'm going to give you, Lorelai, a medication that I believe can help you. Take two pills every day. It doesn't matter when you take them in the day, just make sure it's both of the pills at the same time. Let me know if you get a positive result within the next six months and if not, we'll get you back in and think about other options."

"Thank you so much," Luke and Lorelai said to the doctor before leaving. They left, went to get the prescription filled, and went home.

Lorelai was now standing in the bathroom, getting ready to take her first dose of the medication. She didn't want to, and wasn't looking forward to it, but was willing to do anything. Nervously, she popped the pills in her mouth and swallowed them with water, then grimaced at their bitterness. "Well, that's over," she remarked, leaving the bathroom.

She noticed Luke in the kitchen, and walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist flirtatiously. "What're you making, hot stuff?"

"Just some more tea- do you want some coffee?"

Lorelai smirked, nodding. "Always,"


	3. Sudden Cravings and Happy News

**Chapter Three**

Sudden Cravings and Happy News

Just less than six months had passed. Lorelai continued to take the medication she had been given. There had been no positive tests, but she was still two weeks away from her six-month deadline. Lorelai woke up and immediately, intrinsically knew something was different. She felt incredibly sick, violently so. She ran to the bathroom and let the contents of her stomach go. Luke heard her and ran into the room.

"Lorelai, are you alright?" he said, shocked and frightened at seeing his wife in such a state. "Do you need something?"

"No, I'm fine, just had a moment of sickness, that's all," Lorelai assured him as she walked over to and began cleaning herself up with the sink.

"Do you think you're coming down with something?"

"No, I feel fine otherwise,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I promise," Lorelai said.

Luke patted his wife and then left to go cook breakfast. Lorelai caught him on the way out.

"Hey, hon?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you go cook, will you run over to the market and grab me the biggest bag of apples you can find? I'm really craving them suddenly,"

"Sure," Luke agreed, finding the request odd. Lorelai didn't usually like or eat any type of fruit, despite his urging her to "eat something healthy for once". He grabbed his keyring from his pocket and headed out.

"Honey, I'm home!" Luke joked, pretending he was a husband in the fifties, as he walked through the door a while later, carrying three very large bags of apples. Lorelai saw him and happily squealed. "Oh, my apple hero!" she stuck her hand in the bag and grabbed one, taking a huge bite of it.

"So, why are you craving an apple?" It's out of nowhere it seems. You never want anything healthy!"

"I don't know, really. I felt sick earlier and now I want fruit. Oh, my god, wait. That could mean something," Lorelai gasped, putting the pieces together in her head of what had happened. She ran out of the room.

"What? What? Are you feeling sick again?" Luke chased after her.

"Do we still have any pregnancy tests in the cabinet? I need one," Lorelai ran into the bathroom and opened the cabinet doors, going through every item in there. She was throwing everything out and rifling through it at lightning speed.

"Wait, why?" Luke was dumbfounded, but then it caught up with him. "Oh my god, are you saying…" he trailed off.

Lorelai finally found the last new test and grabbed it out of the cabinet, making a note to buy more on her next trip out to Hartford (she never felt right buying them at the local market, word would spread too fast. Lorelai loved the small town culture, but also cursed it for this reason. Nothing was sacred, everything was everyone's business). She quickly unwrapped it and shoved Luke out the door to have this moment alone.

Luke was never much of the hoping and praying type, but this time he allowed himself to say, "Please let it be positive,"

* * *

"Okay, I've just taken it. The little timer thing says we will have results in up to three minutes," Lorelai opened the door again and let Luke in. The two embraced and Luke said, "I have a really good feeling this time,". For the first time, ever, he wasn't just saying that to calm Lorelai, he meant it.

"I have a good feeling too," Lorelai glanced at the timer, still running. "Thirty seconds to go,"

Those thirty seconds felt like an hour as they waited for results, clinging to each other. Finally, the timer beeped and Lorelai looked down, gingerly taking the stick into her hands. Too nervous to look, she turned to Luke. "You do it! I can't!"

"But I'm nervous, too!"

"Fine, we'll do it together,"

Nearly shaking. Luke and Lorelai looked down at the test together. It said one simple, yet so meaningful word: _Pregnant_. They finally had it, the result they had hoped so long for.

"Oh, my god, Luke! I'm pregnant," Lorelai cried, tears welling up in her eyes. Her wish had come true.

"We're having a baby!" Luke nearly yelled. "Oh my god, this is so great," he swept Lorelai into his arms and enveloped her in a passionate embrace and kiss. "We're having a baby," he repeated. "I can't believe it's finally here,"

"Me either, love. Me either," Lorelai's head was spinning, thinking of all the possibilities and all of the things she would get to do again, but this time with more joy. "I have to call everyone!" she got down from Luke's arms and ran out of the room.

"You don't think we should wait until we know it's safe?" Luke yelled after her

"I just can't hold it in for that long! I'm only going to tell Rory…" Lorelai explained.

"You should tell your mom, too. You don't have to today, but soon," Luke added. "She deserves to be on this journey with you," As much as he knew that Lorelai's relationship with Emily was strained, he was always subtly pushing for it to be better.

"I know, but I'm scared she will judge somehow,"

"Why would she? She knows we've tried for years, and she'll get another grandchild out of this,"

"You're right," Lorelai nodded. She went to the phone and Luke once again resumed his cooking, hoping for no more interruptions. Lorelai sat on the couch and dialed Rory's cell phone number, hoping she wasn't busy and would be able to talk, even if only for a few minutes. As much as she would love to have shared this news and happiness with her daughter in person, she just couldn't wait that long

"Hello, this is Rory Gilmore, freelance writer," was the response after a few rings.

"Hi, Rory, it's your mother," Lorelai mocked her daughter's formal tone.

"Oh, hi, mommy!" Rory went back to her usual, bubbly, happy voice. "Sorry I sounded so formal, I've been doing a lot of phone interviews lately. So, it's good to hear from you. How have you been?"

"Well, I've been down lately," Lorelai admitted, thinking of all the hardship she had gone through recently. "But today, I'm elated. Babe, I've got amazing news,"

"What is it?" Rory nearly shrieked.

"You know Luke and I have been trying for several years to have a baby and have had no success. A few months ago, we went to one of those fertility specialists and they put me on a special drug. I've been taking it religiously, and today, we got our very first positive result. I'm pregnant! At twenty-three, you're going to be a big sister! Mommy's having a baby!" Lorelai joked, mocking the words one might use when telling a small child about a new sibling.

"Oh my god, Mom. That's so great! Congratulations to you and Luke!" Lorelai couldn't see, but inside her apartment, Rory was jumping up and down, overjoyed. Sure, she was already a big sister to Gigi, and had warm feeling towards her, but never felt very much connection with her. She knew that would all change with her mother and Luke's baby.

"Thanks kid, we're so thrilled. I can't believe it,"

"I'll come home next weekend, I want to celebrate with you guys!"

"Sounds good," Lorelai agreed. She heard Luke calling her for breakfast, told Rory goodbye and hung up.

For the rest of the day, Luke and Lorelai were in a happily hazy state. They were now watching their evening television, Lorelai's legs draped over Luke's. Lorelai just couldn't believe what was happening to her. She felt so lucky. When the program was over, the two went up to bed, and after the typical routine, were now snuggled together.

"Good night, wife," Luke said sweetly, giving Lorelai a peck on the lips. Then, quietly and ever so softly, he placed his hand on Lorelai's stomach. "Good night to you too, baby. Mommy and I love you so much,"


	4. Checkups and Surprises

**Four**

 _Checkups and Surprises_

Two months had passed since Lorelai received her positive pregnancy test results. At that time, she was four weeks along, and now she was eight weeks and growing more every day. She was still overjoyed, often pausing her daily routines at the inn just to pat her stomach or stare at it while saying, "Hi, baby." Although she had been pregnant before, everything felt so new. Every movement was special and longed for.

Today, though, was an extra special day. This would be the first time that Luke and Lorelai would see their growing baby via an ultrasound. They were currently in the waiting room, awaiting their turn to see the doctor. Luke was reading a magazine for fathers (he was constantly saying that since he missed these days with April, he needed to research), and Lorelai was just sitting there complacently running her hands over her stomach. She still couldn't believe it- after three years, she was finally pregnant. Every day it felt more real, yet more like a dream all the same. It was her dream that had finally come true.

"Lorelai Gilmore Danes? We're ready for you, and your husband if he wants to come along,"

Lorelai and Luke linked hands again and walked to the examination room together. The room itself was blank, but there were some posters about pregnancy that Lorelai was very interested in and reading intently.

"Look at that, there is a poster about which food the baby is each week! Very fitting for me. It looks like, this week we are a…." Lorelai trailed off, her eyes darting around the poster, trying to find the right spot. "…raspberry,"

"It freaks me out to see and think of my baby that way," Luke said. "Stop it,"

"I just thought it was funny!"

Just as they were in the middle of this silly and needless debate, the doctor entered. "Hello again, Lorelai and Luke! I see you're here for a baby related appointment, which means you're finally expecting! Congratulations to you both!"

"Thank you so much," Lorelai said. "The medication definitely helped us. In fact, it probably made all the difference," she gushed. She did not want to be too mushy, but really did love the doctor for what she had done and how she had helped them. Without her, they probably wouldn't be in this place and spot in their life and fertility journey. They were, at last, that much closer to where they wanted to be in their lives.

"It's what I do. Let's go on with the appointment. I'll help you up onto the table,"

Lorelai did as she was told and lied back on the table. The doctor set up her machines. Calmly and carefully, she lifted Lorelai's shirt and glided the ultrasound wand over her exposed stomach. After a minute or so, she settled on one area and smiled.

"Look at the screen," she guided. "See that small dot? That's your baby!"

"Oh my god," Lorelai said. "I've forgotten how amazing this whole process is. I really didn't appreciate it enough the first time,"

"Well, you were young," Luke piped up. He always wondered what the pregnancy with Rory had been like, but Lorelai did not mention it often and regarded it as a sore subject, part of her past she would rather not focus on. Of course, she loved Rory, but often regretted having her so young and the way she regarded the process. Luke wanted to be sensitive to her feelings and not pry into her past more than she shared or was comfortable bringing up, so he did not talk about or mention it often. He did not want to start a fight between them. They had had enough disagreements over the years.

"Age really does make a difference," Lorelai mused. She remembered the ultrasounds with Rory and just wanting to get them over with, instead of being amazed and amused by the miracle they showed her. They felt more like an inconvenience.

After a few more minutes of making sure everything was okay, the doctor let them hear the heartbeat. As the sound played loudly over the speakers in the room, Lorelai could not help but shed a tear at it.

"Our baby has a heartbeat…" she said incredulously. "I cannot believe it," She obviously knew that it was routine (and worrisome for them to not), but she was amazed and felt blessed and thankful that they had made it this far. It was just one more step, one more "check" in their journey that they could cross off.

"Me either," Luke squeezed Lorelai's hand. They shared a quiet kiss.

"Oh, wait," the doctor paused. "There's nothing wrong, everything is fine, but I do see something I didn't before. Hold on a minute, it looks like there could be more than one baby here"

Lorelai was almost in tears. Although the doctor had said nothing was wrong, she was still worried. She had worked so hard for this pregnancy and the last thing she wanted was a hiccup, even a good one. "What, what?" she asked.

"Um, Lorelai, Luke, you guys are having twins. There was another baby hiding behind the one I pointed out to you a bit ago. I noticed the heart rate was a bit high for just one, and I was not sure, but that confirms it. There are two babies in there. This is very, very common with medically assisted conception. It is due to rapid production of hormones and cells., plus sheer luck. Many conceive more than just two- I've heard cases of four and even more, the most being eight. Don't worry, though. I checked. There are only two," the doctor chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh my god," the couple said in unison, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. They thought the one baby was the biggest possible blessing, now they were having two. They knew it would be crazy, but also had a lot of confidence in themselves as well. "That's…crazy. We can't believe it,"

"Congratulations again! I will snap some pictures for you and you can pick them up at the front desk on your way out of the office,"

Once the doctor was done, she told them goodbye and wished them well in their journey going further.

* * *

Once they had left the office and were alone in the parking lot with only a few other cars around, Lorelai could not help but let out a small anxious (but happy) scream. She was not just having one baby, but two! Two to snuggle and take care of, two to comfort in the middle of the night, two to put through college. She felt like the happiest and luckiest woman, wife, and soon to be mother for the second time, alive. It was like the universe just knew what she wanted and needed, and she felt so blessed to be under these new circumstances.

"Lorelai, can you believe this? We are having twins! It's certainly not what I thought I would hear today, and I do not know if it's what I want,"

"I know, isn't it great?"

"Not exactly, do you realize how stressful this will be? We are getting older and I am not sure we are ready for and able to deal with this! We hardly have any help, we both have jobs…"

"I'm sure Rory will help us!" Lorelai offered.

"She is two hours away; do you really expect the girl to drive back so often?" Luke shot back. "She has her own life. You say you want her in a stable career and then you say she will help us with the kids. Make up your mind, Lorelai, which do you want more? They are our kids and our responsibilities, always,"

"You are right in saying that it will be a lot to take in, but realize how thankful we should be! We have worked so hard to get to this point and I know deep in my heart, in my soul, that we deserve the happiness and love of two babies. Remember all the times you were upset at yet another negative? All the nights of me crying on you because I wanted nothing more than to have a baby around the house again? That has happened and now I'm even doubly lucky! Those times are all behind us now, we have made it! We are having babies! Luke, please realize that some people cannot even get this far! We were them once," Lorelai was now in hysterics as she explained all of this to her husband. She could not believe that he was not happy, she figured he would love the news,

It was a tense ride home as the couple tried to make sense of what they had just been told, but eventually Luke spoke up. "You know what, we can do this. It's not going to be easy by any stretch, but we're in this together and we can handle it. It's what we do," Luke leaned over, placed a small kiss on Lorelai's lips, and then they drove the rest of the way home, talking and dreaming of the future.


	5. News Spreads Fast in the Hollow

**Five**

 _News Spreads Fast in the Hollow_

Lorelai sat at the counter in the diner in the afternoon watching Luke run around- taking orders, pouring coffee, collecting plates. Even though the man was pushing forty-two, he still could keep up with everything his job required of him. She sipped her tea, grateful for something to keep her awake and to keep the still prevalent sickness at bay, as she enjoyed the bustle of people coming in with the lunch rush. She **really** wanted some coffee, but all they had was decaf (Luke served regular caffeine to customers in secret, but wouldn't allow Lorelai to be around it) and that wasn't cutting it, so tea had to be the best option. As she finished off her mugful and stood to get some more tea, she noted Babette and Patty at the door, talking and gossiping loudly. _Oh god,_ Lorelai thought. _I wonder if they know._ Her and Luke weren't planning to announce the pregnancy until they knew what the babies were, and that would be later in the month, but as was common in the lovely storybook town, news spread faster than people wanted... especially when Babette Dell had something to do with it.

"Lorelai! Doll!" Babette ran toward her. "How have you been, we haven't seen you around. Are you feeling alright, sugar?"

"Yes, Babette, I'm fine, thank you," Lorelai said, polite yet blank, hoping to give away no news or hints in her response (because Babette picked up on those things quick, and then spread them everywhere like she knew they were true).

"You know, there's a town meeting tonight at six, we'd love to see you there! It's at the studio and we will be talking about the festivals we want to have during the rest of the year, I figured you'd have some good ideas," Lorelai chuckled at the truth of the comment. "Sure, I'll try to be there,"

Around five thirty, Luke let Cesar have control of the diner while he (at Lorelai's insistence) accompanied her to the meeting. He still wasn't a fan of this custom, but he knew Lorelai loved it, and he loved her, so he dealt with it.

When Luke met his wife outside of the studio at precisely six pm, she was happily carrying a bucket of fried chicken! Now, it wasn't strange for her to bring along some kind of snack or even meal to the meetings, since they tended to run a bit long (he didn't understand why, but it seemed she was always hungry, and now, with the pregnancy, it was even worse) but he found this to be excessive.

"You know Taylor's going to yell at you for that," he commented, pointing to the bucket. "Couldn't you have brought something a little quieter to eat?"

"This was the craving," Lorelai explained. "And when your babies have a craving, I as a good and caring mother, try to answer it," she took a huge bite out of one of the pieces of chicken.

"Whatever, just don't complain at me after he yells at you. You're doing it to yourself," Luke had one of those moments where he realized an argument wasn't necessary, Lorelai was just being Lorelai. She wrapped her arm around Luke, still holding tightly to her chicken bucket, and they walked together into the meeting.

The studio was beginning to fill with people, and there was bustle and chatter about. Lorelai found a seat with Luke next to her, and of course, continued eating, when Taylor called the meeting to order.

"Okay people, this Stars Hollow Town Meeting is called to order! I'm very happy to have you all here today as we discuss community business and new festivals we want to have." The meeting ran for about an hour and a half as different agenda items were discussed.

It was now just past nine at night, and people were slowly leaving, still talking amongst themselves. Lorelai was just finishing up her chicken and chatting with Babette when Taylor walked up to them and snatched the bucket from Lorelai.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lorelai? We don't like food at the meetings, we're trying to avoid messes. Yet every time we gather, you've got a snack, or fried chicken! It gets more ridiculous every meeting!" he was getting irritated and Lorelai decided that the best way to settle the debate was to tell the truth rather than to make something up. She went up to the speaking podium.

"I'm only eating this tonight because it's what the babies wanted, it's my latest craving." Lorelai announced, watching as shocked faces spread over the crowd as they realized what she was implying.

"Oh, my goodness, sugar! Are you saying what it sounds like you're saying? You've got buns in your oven?" Babette jumped up. She loved this sort of major news.

"Yes, Babette. Yes, everybody- Luke and I are expecting twins in about five months," the crowd rushed at her and Luke, who was now standing with her. They smothered them in hugs, well wishes and exclamations.

After questioning and some more well wishes, Luke and Lorelai were back at home, tired after the meeting. They had just turned into the driveway, and Luke opened Lorelai's door for her.

"Come on, let's get to bed," he said gently, waiting for her to get out of the car.

"I'm too tired. I'm _pregnant_ and tired," Lorelai said dramatically. "Carry me,"

"Seriously?" Luke replied.

"Well, I'm carrying your children for nine months, I think it's the least you could do,"

"Alright, I guess," Luke scooped his wife carefully into his arms. "Just this once," he added as he carried her into the house, up the stairs, and into their bedroom. He set her down on the bed and then went into the bathroom to get his own bedtime routine started. After a few minutes, Lorelai wandered in, brushed her own teeth, and they left the bathroom together.

"I love you so much," Lorelai said as they crawled into bed.

"Likewise," Luke responded. "I'm so happy that after all the years of issues, we have our happy ending together, our middle as you once said,"

"Me too, love. You know, you are going to be the best daddy to our babies,"

"I hope so. And you're already the best mom I know,"

"Aw, thanks. She turned out pretty great," Lorelai laughed, feeling relaxed after the long day. She then suddenly sat up and put her hand on her stomach. "Oh my god,"

"What?" Luke questioned, worried that something was wrong.

"The babies… I'm pretty sure one of them just kicked,"

"Really?" he asked, incredulous.

"Here, feel," Lorelai coaxed him. She slowly brought his hand to rest on her stomach, and laced her own with his. Sure enough, as their hands rested there, there was a small press back to them, one of their babies kicking happily away despite the late hour.

"Whoa," Luke remarked. "That's amazing, I've never felt anything like that before,"

"Yeah, it's one of the greatest feelings. Knowing the little ones inside of you are healthy and well," Lorelai remarked dreamily. She lied herself back down and snuggled under the blankets. "I'm so happy I get to have babies all over again with you. That's all I ever wanted. I'm so blessed," she said before giving Luke a kiss and falling quickly asleep.

Luke lied there in bed next to his sleeping wife, thinking about how he was the blessed one. He bent over quietly and kissed her stomach. "Daddy loves you babies more than he can say, I hope you know that," he whispered. And then, full of peace and gratitude, he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Telling The Grandparents

**Chapter Six**

 _Telling the Grandparents_

"We have to tell them eventually, you know. This is a huge change in our lives, we can't hide it forever. I know you're scared of their reaction, but really, I think they'll be happy. This time is different- you're thirty eight, not sixteen, we're married and we actively tried to get pregnant," Luke was trying to calm Lorelai as they got ready for a Friday Night Dinner at the Gilmore house. They had decided that now, at seventeen weeks along and getting ready to find out the gender of their babies, it was time to share the news with Emily and Richard.

As she usually felt telling her parents any sort of big news, Lorelai was nervous. She remembered the reaction they had to finding out she was expecting Rory, and feared a repeat of that. But Luke was right. This time was on purpose and wanted, and she hoped for their reaction to mirror that happiness. Lorelai hoped for these children to help inspire a more normal grandparent relationship in Emily and Richard. Although they were involved in Rory's childhood, those moments always felt unnatural. They were uptight- fancy dinners, lavish gifts, dressing up just for a quiet meal. That's not what Lorelai wished for these babies to have. She wanted them to have hands on grandparents, ones that weren't afraid to get down to play and attend sports games and watch their grandkids overnight. She viewed this pregnancy as her second chance with Luke, and prayed her parents would feel the same.

Snapping her out of her thoughts, Luke came from behind and wrapped his arms around Lorelai. "Come on, I just started the car, let's go," he took her hand and they went out to the car. "Remember, don't be nervous, we've got this together. And you know what? Even if they're upset, and again, I don't see why they would be, we're overjoyed, and that's what matters," he said as he turned the car out of the driveway and into the direction of Hartford. Lorelai stared out the window and hoped for an easy night and happy reactions from her parents.

Lorelai and Luke stood together outside of the towering Gilmore mansion, linked arms and ready for the night ahead. Lorelai rang the doorbell, and to her surprise, it was Emily that answered a few moments later. This hardly ever happened, it was usually one of the maids that answered while Emily bossed around another maid about meal preparation or place settings or not enough ice on the drink cart or a million other things.

"Mom!" Lorelai exclaimed in surprise. "You never answer the door when we come over,"

"Well, I just happened to be walking by. Is that a problem, Lorelai?" Emily was already making intrusive comments and they hadn't even been there for five minutes.

"No, it was just an observation," Lorelai smirked.

"Never mind, just come in," Emily said blankly. She opened the door further and let the couple in. A maid took their coats and everyone settled themselves on the couch in the living room. Quiet chatter was made as they all found their groove in being together again. For years, a Friday dinner was an every week, no exceptions event, but with Rory living on her own and going to grad school two hours away and the Dragonfly getting busier every month, that became almost impossible, so they found a compromise. Luke and Lorelai attended a dinner two times a month, and every last Friday, Rory made the drive to Stars Hollow, stayed for the weekend, and attended a dinner that Sunday. As difficult as it had become to organize, Lorelai had come to love these dinners, having her family together and the chance to catch up on each other's lives.

"Drink, Lorelai?" Emily was moving toward the drink cart, ready to get beverages for her guests.

"Uh, about that, Mom…"

Emily turned around very quickly. "Oh my god, Lorelai. You don't ever turn down our Friday night martinis… are you saying…" Emily trailed off in shock, but Lorelai knew what she meant by th absence of words. She got up and took her mother's hand.

"That's right, Mom and Dad. You're going to be grandparents again, times two. Luke and I are having twins this November. We're overjoyed, and we hope you will be too,"

"Oh, Lorelai…" Emily leaned into her daughter, and, doing something she did very rarely, embraced her in a hug. Lorelai was taken aback, but returned the hug and relished the moment with her mother.

When they pulled away from the hug, Lorelai looked into her mother's eyes. She noticed her beginning to tear up. Lorelai put her hand on her mother's cheek, concerned she was angry or sad.

"What's the matter, Mom? Are you upset?"

"No, no," Emily pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes with it. "Quite the opposite in fact! This is so wonderful!" a happy tone returned to her voice. She looked at Richard. "Can you believe this, dear? We're going to be grandparents again,"

"It's splendid news! Richard cheered. "I'm hoping for at least one boy so I can teach him about my work! I tried to do that with Rory… she was not so receptive," Richard laughed at the memory.

"Oh, and I'd love another granddaughter. Someone to share my love of the DAR with," Emily said. She then got up and hugged Luke.

"And congratulations to you too, my son in law. You'll make a wonderful father to these babies," she said. Luke was surprised, but accepted the hug and thanked her. Richard was next, giving Luke a supportive pat on the back. They continued this happy and supportive conversation all the way through dinner. Lorelai was shocked beyond words at how her parents reacted to the news of her impending new babies. She was thrilled at how they took it, but definitely expected a fight.

When their meal was finished, Luke, Lorelai, Emily and Richard went back into the living room to rest and wait for the maid to announce dessert being ready. Lorelai was sitting on the couch, snuggling Luke and feeling blissful. Just as she started to space out, Emily spoke up.

"Lorelai, may I speak to you privately? Up in your room," the Gilmore matriarch said as she stood up, motioning her daughter to follow.

"Um, sure," Lorelai responded, following her mother. All the while, she was wondering what she had to say. Normally, when Emily asked to speak to her privately, it was to give some kind of criticism, but Lorelai knew this time would be different. The two reached Lorelai's old bedroom and sat themselves on the bed. Lorelai looked around, amazed at how little the room had changed even though it had been over twenty years since she had stayed there regularly.

"Listen, Lorelai," Emily started, placing her hand on her daughter's knee. "There's something I need you to know,"

"Of course, mom. I'm listening,"

"I need you to know that I'm committed to these new babies of yours. I want to be an involved grandma to them, more than I was when Rory was little. I regret often that I wasn't there for you more when you were first starting out as a mother, so I'm going to change that this time. I'm going to be there for you and for them. I spoke with your father earlier and we want to have an interior designer make a nursery for them both here and in our Martha's Vineyard house… we are ready to be grandparents again and we are so excited,"

"Wow, Mom. I don't even know what to say, that's so generous of you guys."

"It's our pleasure, it's been so long since we have had young grandkids that we want to spoil them. There's just one thing we ask of you and Luke,"

"Of course, what is it?"

"We ask that you don't keep them away from us. We want to be involved and we want to see them regularly,"

"It's a deal, Mom… can we hug?"

Emily laughed and wrapped her arms around Lorelai. They shared a hug and then Emily placed her hand on Lorelai's growing bump. She smiled as the babies responded to the touch with a kick, and talked to her daughter's stomach. The Gilmore women felt at ease as they enjoyed their time together, and for once, Lorelai enjoyed her mother's company.


	7. Getting Prepared

**Chapter Seven**

 _Getting Prepared_

"So, tell me why you thought this was a good idea?" Luke said as he walked through the doors of a Hartford hospital, Lorelai on his arm. She was making him spend his day off at a birthing class. "You've already had one kid, why do you need a class on what labor is like?"

"Well, I've done lots of research and now I've decided that I'd like to try to approach the process as naturally as I can. I'm going to try to avoid any pain medications, and I want you to support me," Lorelai answered.

"You know I'll support you in however you choose to bring our babies into the world, but remember, you're having two. It's going to hurt even more than Rory did, and you always describe that as 'doing the splits on a crate of dynamite', so you can try, but don't be so down on yourself if it doesn't go the way you want it to,"'

"I know, it's not something I've got my heart absolutely set on, but it's a goal,"

The couple had to sign themselves in at the front desk of the hospital and then they went to a classroom area where the class was being held.

Immediately as they entered the room, they were greeted warmly by the instructor, who introduced herself as Dr. Mansfield, and by the other couples that were attending.

"Now, it looks like everyone is here," Dr. Mansfield said next, a few minutes later. She then instructed every couple to sit themselves on a yoga mat so they could practice some breathing exercises they or their wife may find helpful during the labor process. Luke at first balked at this, saying, "I'm not the one having the babies, why should I do this too?"

Doctor Mansfield proceeded to explain that engaging in the exercises with your wife helped them feel more empowered, and less alone. Luke still thought it was dumb, but he realized again that he would do anything for his wife. They had worked so hard over the years to have a strong marriage and a family together, and if he could help her through the process of bringing his beautiful babies into the world, he would do it, even if that meant he would sit through two hours of breathing exercises and middle-aged women explaining the miracle of life. He regained his composure and continued breathing along with the rest of the group, Lorelai laughing at the sight.

As both Luke and Lorelai sat on the mat doing as they were instructed to do, they couldn't help but feel awkward about being there. Most of the couples there were at least 10 years younger than them, and seemed much more into the process. They felt old and like they didn't belong, but Lorelai had read that these classes can help with easing fear during labor so they stuck to it. That was what they needed most: easing of their fears. As excited as they were to welcome these new miracles to their lives, they were also terrified. They worried constantly about if they would be good parents, and if something were to go wrong. After all, it had been quite a few years since either of them cared for a baby. But, they had faith in themselves, and in each other, and that helped ease their fears. They wanted this more than anything, and that desire kept them going.

The next thing discussed in the class was focal points. Doctor Mansfield had explained that during the most painful points of labor, some women find it helpful to have something to focus on, something to distract themselves from the pain. She offered some common examples, things like a picture of family or a painting on the wall. Then she left the couples to discuss their ideas.

"Oh, how about pie?" Lorelai thought. "Pie always calms me down!"

"Lorelai, as your husband I would do a lot for you, but I won't sneak your food you're not allowed to have during labor! The doctor just said if you're going to eat something during your labor, it needs to be healthy, something that will give you energy. Pie won't be that," Luke was trying to be stern, but secretly, he was laughing inside at his wife's constant desire for various food items, even in life's most painful experiences.

Lorelai pouted. "Luke, for me, please,"

"Tell you what, after you have the babies, I'll get you some. It can be your reward," Luke compromised, making Lorelai smile. "See, I know you can't resist my begging," she giggled, getting up from the mat she was sitting on.

"Love you, Crazy Lady," Luke gave her a kiss on the forehead. "…and you too, babies," he added, with a peck to her stomach. "You'll learn about your crazy mama soon,"

After some thought, Lorelai had decided that she wanted a photo of her, Luke, and Rory on their wedding day to be her focal point. She felt it was her happiest day, and a time she felt most at peace. She finally had her happy ending, and she thought that remembering that moment would bring her some joy and reprieve.

After choosing their focal points, a few more breathing techniques, and social time with the other parents (which was just thirty minutes of standing around feeling awkward and out of place), Lorelai was getting tired and she asked Luke to take her home to rest. She was only eighteen weeks pregnant, but carrying two babies at nearly forty was exhausting. Lorelai had to start taking half days at the inn a few weeks previous, as being on her feet was tiring after a while. Thankfully, Sookie and Michel were very understanding, and willing to take over when needed.

* * *

When they arrived home, it was just past three in the afternoon. Lorelai slipped her shoes off immediately after walking in the door, sore feet from standing for a large part of the day, and sat straight on the couch with an exhausted sigh. Paul Anka curled up on her, clearly happy to see his mommy. She looked down at the large dog, trying his best to fit in her lap, seeming bothered by the lack of space, and laughed. "Paul Anka, sweetie, is Mommy's lap not big enough for you now?" she cooed at him, using the opportunity to practice her 'talking to a baby voice'.

The dog barked in response, as if to agree. Lorelai laughed again. She looked down at him, noting that he was now falling asleep. "Great," she thought to herself. "I'm sitting here for a while now, then." Every time Paul Anka fell asleep on her, she just couldn't find it in herself to make him move when she had to get up, instead she waited for him to wake and leave on his own. She was completely soft when it came to him. Luke often laughed at her coddling of him and chided her about it, but secretly, she knew he was the same, and she knew they both would be the same way toward their new babies.

"Lorelai," Luke started when he came into the room. "There's something I've been thinking about,"

"What is it, babe?" Lorelai answered.

"I think we should find out what we're having after all. I know we've gone back and forth on it, but I think it will make preparation easier in the long run and we can start talking about names more,"

"I think you're right. Originally, I wanted to be surprised, but I think it's important for me to be as prepared as I can since I am older this time," Lorelai had found out Rory's gender during pregnancy all those years ago, and was curious about what the other experience was like, but now she wanted to know all she could. She still found the idea of a surprise gender interesting, but now wasn't the right time. Maybe, she thought, if they were to be blessed with another baby in the future, they would consider it again.

Lorelai noted Paul Anka getting up from his nap on her legs and went to the calendar hanging in the kitchen. She scanned the dates and appointments before seeing _Ultrasound- 12 P.M_ on the following Friday. Her and Luke smiled at each other, and placed their hands on her bump. They couldn't wait to find out who they'd be welcoming into their crazy family.


	8. The Gender Announcement

_**The Gender Annoucement**_

Lorelai stood looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, freshly dressed from her morning shower, hands framing her bump. She still, four and a half months in, could not believe she was getting her perfect happy ending, her middle. She'd faced many struggles in her thirty eight years, but for once she finally felt like life was right. She sighed contentedly and stared at her stomach for a few minutes more. She could not believe how fast her pregnancy was going by. At times, she felt like she had just found out, but she was now only a few months from welcoming her babies. Today was going to be an exciting day- Luke and Lorelai were off to the doctor to learn the genders of their babies.

Luke was standing out in the kitchen, coffee brewing (decaf, of course- he wouldn't allow Lorelai around anything caffeinated, starting the minute she got pregnant), and pancakes on the griddle. He wanted this to be a special and happy day for both him and Lorelai, starting with her favorite breakfast (including some fruit he secretly put in on the side, figuring she wouldn't touch it but having high hopes).

As he was getting ready to flip the pancakes and put them on plates, he heard Lorelai coming down the stairs, Paul Anka hot on her heels (probably hoping for some breakfast scraps), and turned to greet her. She came up behind him, gave him a gentle squeeze around the waist, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Good morning, my wonderful husband and baby-daddy," she said sultrily with a giggle. Luke rolled his eyes at her but continued his work of putting the pancakes on the plate.

"You are far too old to be using that term, Lorelai," Luke responded. "Pancake?" he held the plate out to her

"Yes, please," she took it from him and went to the table. Luke brought her some coffee, along with some tea for himself, and sat with his own breakfast. The couple enjoyed a few moments of peaceful silence together, then Luke spoke. "So, are you ready for today?"

"So ready, I can't wait. I think this will help it feel even more real," Lorelai said, continuing to shovel the pancakes in her mouth. Luke shook his head at her. "How do you do that?

As she yet continued to shove the breakfast into her mouth, she responded, "Well, it's what I have to do- I'm eating for three right now," she took her last bite and then pushed the plate away from her, patting her stomach happily. "Babies liked Daddy's breakfast too," she laughed as the babies kicked, probably in response to all of the sugar Mommy had just eaten. After Luke finished his own breakfast and the kitchen was cleaned, it was time to head for Hartford, to learn who the Gilmore-Danes clan would be welcoming in just about four months.

* * *

About an hour later, Lorelai pulled the Jeep into the parking lot of the fertility center. She opened her door and eased her way out of the car, (moving getting harder as she grew), taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air. It was a beautiful Friday, early afternoon. The sun was shining and there was a happy mood about in the air. Lorelai found this to be very appropriate, as she was feeling the same happy, sunny feelings. She grasped Luke's hand and they walked into the center together, minds brimming with anticipation. Would it be two more Gilmore girls, two Gilmore boys, or one of each?The couple walked in together, went to the front desk to get the necessary paperwork, and sat to fill it out. Lorelai was nearly bursting with anticipation. She just wanted to know!

After the paperwork was finished, Lorelai tried to stave off her impatience with reading some pregnancy related magazines. She flipped through them mindlessly,, not really paying attention to the articles, just trying to keep busy, and suddenly, she heard a voice calling her name- "Lorelai Gilmore Danes? We're ready for you,"

Lorelai all but jumped out of her seat with excitement, making Luke cover his mouth to stifle a laugh. He and Lorelai both got up and walked with the nurse back to the examining room, holding hands and chattering, as if they were teenagers in love.

The nurse led them to the examination room, told them the doctor would be in soon, and was off to collect the next patient. As the door shut, Luke looked at Lorelai.

"So, last guesses?" he said excitedly.

"One of each," Lorelai mused, hand absentmindedly rubbing her bump. "It's the mother's intuition thing,"

"I say one of each, too." Luke responded, leaning over to rub the bump himself. "Felt it from the beginning," He kissed Lorelai, and then her stomach. Lorelai giggled at his excitement. She was so used to Luke being so rough, gruff, and serious, that to see him acting so happy and full of joy, warmed her heart.

"Good afternoon, Luke and Lorelai!" Doctor Jacobsen said a few moments after entering. Both Luke and Lorelai greeted her in return, and then she went to work on the computer, asking Lorelai the typical questions as was custom at every appointment.

"So, Lorelai," she started. "How have you been feeling?"

Lorelai smiled brightly. "So much better than in the beginning! The morning sickness is finally gone. But, it is getting a bit harder to move with this basketball in my shirt," she laughed, pointing to her stomach. "But it's all worth it in the end,"

Doctor Jacobsen looked at Lorelai knowingly. "I've been there- my twins are five now but I remember as if it was yesterday. So are you feeling fetal movement regularly?"

"Yes, lots. They kick all the time- they're especially active at night and just after I've had a big meal. Luke and I love feeling them, it's so special." Lorelai gushed.

"It really is,"

After some more questions, it was time for the ultrasound. Lorelai was now lying on the exam table, shirt pulled up to expose her now very round stomach. She was staring intently at the TV screen that the ultrasound was projected on, Luke by her side. He caressed her hands and gave her a kiss, then they gave Doctor Jacobsen the go-ahead to start.

"Let's see here, " Doctor Jacobsen began, moving the ultrasound wand around on Lorelai's stomach. They hadn't even seen anything yet, but Luke and Lorelai were already awing in amazement.

"Oh, there they are. Nice and healthy," she said a few moments later. The babies were positioned in a manner that made it look like they were waving, which got a laugh from the whole room, and then, Doctor Jacobsen asked the big question- "Do we want to know gender?"

With a hand squeeze to Luke and a knowing look, Lorelai replied, "Yes,"

Doctor Jacobsen smiled. "Congrats, mama and daddy. Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy,"

Luke and Lorelai immediately hugged, kissed, and laughed in joy like they were little schoolchildren. They had their perfect family now (or soon to come).

Walking out of the appointment that day, both Luke and Lorelai felt and acted like they were on cloud nine. They had exactly what their predicted and hoped for, and couldn't wait to meet their babies.


	9. Meeting Our Miracles, Part One

**Meeting Our Miracles, Part One**

 _Four Months Later_

It was a Sunday, just past two thirty in the morning. The Gilmore-Danes house was nearly silent, and while she should have been sleeping, Lorelai was up, staring out the master bedroom window. She had been up for two hours now, not able to sleep because of contractions. They were becoming more painful now than when she had very first started feeling them at about eight thirty the previous evening. At that time, they were barely noticeable, and she was almost able to ignore them, but now that was nearly impossible. She was sure that _today was the day_ (or at least the start of the process), even though she was not due for another three days. After all, she had done this once before and knew the signs. Even though it was more than twenty years ago, she had said, that experience never leaves you.

She remembered every moment, every feeling of that October morning so vividly. But mostly, she remembered the pure, unbelievable joy she had felt moments after baby Rory had entered the world, as she held her for the first time, taking in her softness and innocence. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, and she couldn't wait to feel it again. She knew today would be long, hard, and painful, but she was ready for the end reward- to hold her miracle babies.

"Luke!" she called to him in the darkness. "I think it's happening!"

Luke shot awake and sat up. "Really, you think?"

"Yeah, I've been up for two hours with consistent contractions..." Lorelai paused, clearly having one right that moment. "…and I think they're going to continue that way,"

"Well then, I'll go get the car warmed up… it's cold out there,"

"No need for that yet," Lorelai stopped him. She had now moved back to lying on the bed, hand on her stomach, trying to stay relaxed. "Remember, my birthing class said it's more calming to labor at home for as long as you feel comfortable, and then head in when you feel it's closer to happening," she reminded him. "But we want to make sure it's not _too_ close, or you could end up delivering these kids and I don't know if you want to do that," she chuckled.

"That's right, and no, I would prefer not to do that. They made us watch that video at one of your classes, and I might be scarred for life." He remembered. "So how are you feeling?"

"I'm in pain, but I think we can do this ourselves for a while. The classes we took taught me lots of techniques that might help. I do think you should call Rory, and she'll bring Sookie, they've both mentioned they wanted to be here to support," Lorelai said. "I'm going to try to rest while we wait for them," she pulled up the blankets and settled in, letting out a slight wince at more pain.

"Good plan," Luke said. He kissed his wife's temple and turned to leave the room. "I'll just be outside the door calling them. Let me know if you need anything,"

* * *

It was almost two forty when Rory heard her cell phone ring. Groggily, she grabbed it off the table and clicked it on to see Luke's name listed as the caller ID. She accepted the call quickly, tossing off the covers and sitting up on the bed.

"Hello?" she answered, excitement evident in her voice. _She knew what he was calling about ._

"Hi, Rory, it's Luke. Your mom has been having contractions since eight thirty last night, and they've kept her awake for two hours. We're pretty sure it's happening, and she mentioned that you'd like to be here, and that you'd bring Sookie," Luke explained.

"Oh my gosh, of course, I'll be right there!" Rory squealed excitedly. She had been so excited for her siblings' arrival that a week ago she packed up a month's worth of belongings and her laptop to continue doing her grad school work online, and settled in at the apartment above the diner to be closer to home. She couldn't miss supporting her mother through her labor and the first moments as a mother to newborns for the first time in years.

Rory quickly threw on some clothes, scarfed down a granola bar, and called Sookie, who left the kids with Jackson and raced over to the diner parking lot, where Rory picked her up. Just fifteen minutes after Rory got the call, she and Sookie were at the door of the Crap Shack, ready to support Lorelai.

"I don't know how this will be for me," Rory confessed as they stood outside, November moonlight shining on then. "Remember, I'm not very good with these things. When you were in labor with Davey, Martha, and Jack (the newest Belleville baby), I freaked out and couldn't even be there."

Rory was never good with seeing others in pain, and the thought of having a baby or watching someone else have one made her feel very squeamish. But, this time was different. This was her mom- the person she considered her best friend and who she trusted most in the world. Even if it made her uncomfortable, she was not going to leave Lorelai's side. Lorelai never left her when she was sick or hurting (even when she had the flu during her first month of grad school, Lorelai drove out and cared for her) and it was time for her to return the favor.

"Sweetie, you'll be fine. Your mom is one of the strongest people I know, and those classes have taught her a lot about how to manage the pain. I know the movies make it seem like a scream-fest, but I highly doubt it's going to be for her. And hey, if you're that uncomfortable, you can always leave the room and Luke and I will stay with her. Come on, let's go be there for our girl," Sookie reassuringly said as she put her hand on Rory's back.

Rory grabbed the spare key from under the mat, not wanting to make Luke leave her mom's side to answer the door. She and Sookie entered quietly and soon found themselves at Lorelai's bedroom.

"Hi, Angel," Lorelai whispered to Rory when she saw her in the doorway. "Come here,"

Rory did as her mother asked of her and approached the bed, kneeling at Lorelai's side. "How are you feeling, Mom?"

"I won't lie, this shit hurts, but I'm managing better than I did with you," Lorelai managed to laugh. "Guess I've gotten better at it with age. I'm so glad you girls could be here today,"

"Of course," Rory gushed. "I've been waiting so long for this moment." Sookie came to the other side of the bed. "We wouldn't miss it for the world," they both said.

* * *

It was now reaching five thirty, and the sun was beginning to peak through the curtains of the bedroom window, where Lorelai sat, cross legged and rocking to attempt to ease the pain. She had tried many of the positions her class had taught to minimize discomfort, and none of them seemed to really do the trick. What she really wanted was to give in, go to the hospital, and get some drugs to make her feel more comfortable and able to enjoy the experience more, but she was also committed to her goal, to bring these babies into the world as naturally and healthily as possible.

The room was quiet and peaceful, with Luke, Sookie and Rory sitting on armchairs that they had brought in specifically for labor, to give Lorelai space and room to move about on the bed as she needed. They were all making quiet chatter in between Lorelai's moments of pain, even laughing at how early they were awoken because of this moment (and happy to be, too) when they'd normally be sound asleep. It was silent for a moment, everyone realizing just how tired they were, and then, Lorelai suddenly sat up. "Um, guys…" she started as they all sprang to life again, realizing something was happening. "What is it, Lorelai?" Luke asked, jumping up and running to her side. He was panicked, not having supported a woman through labor before, but he wouldn't let that show. He had to be strong for Lorelai, to show her everything would be okay.

"My water just broke," Lorelai deadpanned. "It's really happening now,"

* * *

The next few moments were a flurry of activity. Luke helped Lorelai to the car, basically lifting her because moving was so painful for her, while Rory got the labor essentials bag together with Sookie's help. Miraculously, they got everything done, and just five minutes after her water breaking, Lorelai and her crew were in the Jeep, starting the drive to Stars Hollow Hospital.

As Lorelai stared out the passenger side window, she suddenly felt the urge to look up. Following her gut, she did so, and out her sunroof, she noticed something. _It was snowing, the first snow of the year, on her babies' birthday._

And in that moment, she took it as a sign from the universe that _she would be okay, she could handle this, and it was going to be one of the greatest days of her life._


	10. Meeting Our Miracles, Part Two

_Chapter Ten_

Meeting Our Miracles, Part Two

The ride to the hospital was only supposed to take ten minutes (Luke had timed it the previous week), but it felt longer than that for Lorelai. She was in the back seat, needing the extra space, with Sookie next to her, while Rory was upfront helping Luke navigate (even though he had made the drive before, the circumstances made him feel nervous and frazzled).

"Sookie…." Lorelai whined. "How did you do this without drugs and in your house the first time?" Lorelai shifted around, having reached a point now where it was uncomfortable to be still, and yet uncomfortable to move. She was losing faith in her ability to do this naturally.

"Oh, sweetie," Sookie said sympathetically, patting her best friend's head. "You can do this, I promise. Just think about how happy you'll be when they're here!"

"That could be hours!" Lorelai yelled, overcome with pain and emotion. "I don't know how much longer I can take,"

"You've got this, Mom, and we're right here with you," Rory said, turning around to face Lorelai. "You handled this with me at 16, I know you can do it again,"

"Thank you, kid," Lorelai tapped Rory's hand appreciatively. She felt a sudden burst of energy and confidence, and looked out the window again, using the snow as motivation. It was silly, but she always felt like the snow knew when she needed it, and this was no different.

Lorelai continued to stare out the window at the snow for the remainder of the ride, using it as something to focus on and distract herself from the pain. She was zoned out, when she heard Luke say, "We're here," and park the car. Lorelai could hardly believe it- she was at the place where their family would finally grow.

Luke helped her out of the car, the other girls carrying all of Lorelai's "labor essentials" (recommended to her by her class) and they all walked in, taking in the early morning glow about. _What a beautiful day to have babies,_ Lorelai thought.

* * *

After the required check in process was complete, Luke and Lorelai, along with their support people, settled themselves in the hospital delivery suite. This was the most expensive room in the whole hospital, used only by the most wealthy, and of course, Emily paid for it, saying "My grandchildren will enter the world in the most comfortable circumstances possible." She and Richard were away right now, on vacation in the Vineyard, but Luke had called them that morning to let them know, and they were going to stop by when they returned.

The equipment in the room was state of the art, everything from a labor tub to heated baby scale. Lorelai felt a bit in over her head-there was no way she could ever take advantage of all this equipment to its full potential, but the sight of it seemed to make her feel like she was in a fancy tropical destination, some expensive hotel (yes, she was reaching the point where pain was causing her to feel a little bit delirious).

* * *

"Make it stop!" Lorelai could be heard yelling all throughout the small hospital almost three hours later. She had reached her breaking point, and nothing, especially none of those hippie relief methods that she had learned, calmed her. She had tried nearly every one of them, to no avail. She used her focal point picture, and stared out the window at her beloved snow, and that just made her feel aggravated. She had decided, and declared, in no uncertain terms, that these natural methods were " complete and utter _bullshit_ ", and she couldn't believe that she thought using them in the first place was a good idea. Nothing but screaming and cursing seemed to help even a little. She lied in the hospital bed, gripping Luke's hand in one of her own and Rory's hand in the other, yelling various exclamations, mostly cursing her idea to do this without medication.

"I know, Lorelai, I know it hurts," Luke kissed her head softly. "But you're doing so good, you can do this. We're almost there," Luke held a cup of ice chips to her, expecting her to take and eat one, but instead, she took it and threw it at him, suddenly making her forget about the pain for a moment and making the whole room, including Doctor Jacobsen, who was in to see how Lorelai was doing and check on her progress, laugh.

"There, now I feel better," Lorelai snickered. "I did that at some poor doctor while in labor with Rory and they never let me live it down,"

"Oh Lorelai, you're sure a character," Doctor Jacobsen got up from the stool she was sitting on at the foot of Lorelai's bed, removed her gloves, and put on a fresh pair. She went to Lorelei's side and tapped her on the shoulder. "Well, you did it. You're ready to deliver now."

* * *

"Unfortunately, we can only have one support partner in here during the delivery, so I'm going to have to ask both of you girls to leave," Doctor Jacobsen explained as she went around the room, setting up the necessary supplies. "But you can come back in immediately after."

Sookie got up from the couch she was sitting on by the window, and went over and kissed Lorelai on the head. "I'll go first," she said, turning toward the door. "I need to go call Jackson and check on my own babies, anyway," she gave Lorelai a squeeze and then left the room, calling, "Good luck, hon. Love you," as she walked out. Rory was next to go, kissing her mother and wishing her good luck before leaving to the hospital cafeteria, in search of much needed coffee and something sugary for breakfast.  
"Okay, now, let's get started," Doctor Jacobsen began, making sure that Lorelai was all set. "Now, Lorelai, just push when you feel you need to,"

It was by no means easy, but twenty minutes later, Lorelai felt pain leave her body. She collapsed against the bed, exhausted, and watched as the doctor lifted their baby girl onto her mother's chest.

"Hi, baby girl, Lorelai cooed, stroking her daughter's back lightly and covering her head in soft kisses.. "Your daddy and I have waited such a long time for you and your brother. I hope you know how much we love you both." She couldn't help but tear up as she listened to her baby's first cries. _This was the moment they'd waited so long for._

A nurse took the baby from Lorelai to be cleaned and swaddled a few minutes later, and even though what she really wanted was a long nap, coffee, and a giant slice of pie (in that order), she realized she had to do it all over again. She gripped Luke's hand for strength, took a deep breath, and gave her all, until another ten minutes later, their son was in the world and on her chest, swaddled and content. She whispered quietly into his ear as Luke held their daughter, now wrapped and quiet in his arms. She was on cloud nine.

* * *

"Good job, Lorelai, you were amazing today," Luke kissed her passionately. "And you did it all naturally, no medication, just like you wanted. I knew you could,"

"You were my rock, babe," Lorelai returned the kiss. "I couldn't have done it without you," she gushed. "And thanks for letting me throw ice at your head,"

"Anything for you, dear,"

The new parents enjoyed a few minutes of quiet, taking in their new babies' softness, sweetness, and how lucky they were to be their parents. Lorelai was now dressed in cozy pajamas she brought from home, sitting up in bed, nursing her daughter. Luke watched, feeling somewhat bashful about it, but amazed by the way his wife and daughter seemed to be so connected already, even though she was only a few minutes old.

"What's the matter, Luke?" Lorelai laughed, noticing the look on his face. "If this freaks you out, you're going to need to get over that, and soon, 'cause you're going to see a lot more of this," she pointed at the nursing baby. "And, besides," she grinned slyly. "These milk machines aren't anything you haven't seen before, they just serve a new purpose now,"

* * *

Once both of their babies had been fed, and Lorelai got a little rest, she felt it was time to introduce them to two very important people: their big sister, and their Auntie Sookie. Luke went to get them from the waiting room, and soon, they were all together in the large hospital room, cooing over the new babies.

"Oh, how precious," Sookie exclaimed as she held the baby girl in her arms. "I'm so happy for you guys, you'll make the best parents together,"

"Definitely," Rory added as she cradled her new baby brother. "But, if you ever need a break, I'm happy to babysit anytime,"

"Well," Sookie said nervously. "It's time to ask the big question, the one I've been wondering the answer to for months- what are these angels' names?" she nearly jumped up and down.

"Luke and I are so excited to introduce you to our daughter, Harper Victoria Danes, and our son, Luca William Danes," she said softly. The whole room smiled and applauded, and Lorelai took it all in, feeling like the happiest woman in the world. _They had finally made it._ They had their miracle babies, and life was about to get crazier, but crazier for the better.


End file.
